This invention relates to a side discharge mower having a discharge opening formed laterally of a mower deck.
A conventional example of the side discharge mower is disclosed in a Publication H8-280225 of a Japanese Patent Application. In this side discharge mower, a mower deck has a forward portion of a top surface thereof bulging upward, and the forward portion defines a grass discharge path extending to a discharge opening formed laterally of the mower deck. Further, Publication No. 2004-41060 of a Japanese Patent Application discloses a side discharge mower having a mower deck of the flat deck type having a flat top surface. The mower deck has a baffle plate formed therein and extending along front parts of rotational paths defined by distal ends of rotary blades.
With a side discharge mower, when grass clippings reach a grass discharge path, the grass clippings are released from the retaining action of the rotary blades, to be smoothly transported and discharged along the grass discharge path. Although the transport and discharge process for discharging the grass clippings from the discharge opening is performed effectively, the grass retaining action of the rotary blades decreases so that the grass clippings are not chopped up properly. It is difficult to discharge and evenly scatter grass clippings in fine pieces from the discharge opening in order to render the discharged grass clippings inconspicuous. As a result, an additional operation may be required to collect the grass clippings.
On the other hand, in the side discharge mower having a baffle plate extending along the front parts of rotational paths, the grass retaining action of the rotary blades is increased by action of the baffle plate, to chop up the grass clippings effectively. This facilitates the grass clippings being discharged and scattered evenly from the discharge opening, to render the discharged grass clippings inconspicuous. However, in a working condition requiring thick long grass to be cut, an excessive amount of grass clippings is retained by the rotary blades to have an adverse effect on grass cutting performance. In this case, not only is a proper chopping process impossible, but the height of grass becomes irregular. It is therefore difficult to make discharged grass clippings inconspicuous. In certain cases, operating accuracy may be lowered.